Reader Response allows readers to interpret the text in various ways.
Allows readers to bring: personality traits, memories of the past and present experiences to the text.
Forces the readers to look past the words of the text, and search for deeper meanings.
Allows teachers to connect with their students on a more personal level.
Allows readers to see different perspectives of others while reading.
Reader response criticism focusses on the importance of the reader and their individual response to the text.
Disadvantages
Reader Response provides a very skewed outlook on different works of literature.
One brings their personal interpretations to the text rather than examining the meaning that the other created.
The reader brings a creates a narrow connection to the text, rather than looking at different perspectives. (connections to the world, connections to other text).
Students may be unclear of how to respond correctly because they are unsure of the teachers own perspective, and how they will react to their own response.
Reader response criticism focusses on the importance of the reader and their individual response to the text.